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How to adjust my screen size on my laptop

Louise Balle Updated March 23, 2017

The average size of a laptop screen is about 15.4 inches and it can run as large as 18.4 inches. When viewing documents, files and your desktop on your laptop, the entire screen should be filled with graphics, from end to end. But if you see a blank space around the screen on your laptop or some of the screen is cut off, your computer display settings are incorrect. Either the screen resolution needs adjustment, or you have the wrong drivers installed on your laptop.

Click the "Settings" tab and look for the "Screen Resolution" section.

Drag the bar all the way to the right or left and click "Apply" to see if that resolves your screen size issue. If not, you will need to used the advanced settings.

Click the "Advanced" button and select the "Monitor" tab. Press "Properties" to bring up a "Default Monitor Properties" dialogue box.

Select the "Driver" tab and then click "Update Driver." Insert the Windows installation disk that came with your laptop if you have it. You can also download the monitor driver files from the support section of your laptop manufacturer's website and deposit it into a folder on your computer.

Choose the option to "Install the Software Automatically." The wizard will find the correct driver on your disk or on your computer. If you had to download the driver to your computer manually, click "Install from a list or specific location" instead, and browse to find the folder where you deposited the driver.

Click "OK" at the end of the wizard to confirm the new monitor driver.

Click the "Adapter" tab and then select "Update Driver." Repeat the same process, starting from selecting the driver, to install the correct video card adaptor. The correct monitor and video card drivers will automatically adjust your screen to the right width and height.

Restart your computer to save the settings.

Tip

If you see a yellow question mark listed next to your monitor on the "Device Manager"--located under "System Properties" then the "Hardware" tab on your computer's control panel--that is a clear sign that there is something wrong with your monitor driver.

Warning

These instructions are for Windows operating system users.

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References

About the Author

Louise Balle has been writing Web articles since 2004, covering everything from business promotion to topics on beauty. Her work can be found on various websites. She has a small-business background and experience as a layout and graphics designer for Web and book projects.